Welcome to our historical walking tour of Dover! Please click the name of a landmark below to find out more information about it or scroll through the page to learn about all of our featured landmarks.
Blackwell Street Historic District
First Memorial Presbyterian Church
Baker Opera House
National Union Bank of Dover
George Richards Building
The Harris Building
Blackwell Street Historic District
Welcome to the Blackwell Street Historic District, officially established in 1982 following a 1980 Historic Site Survey commissioned by the Town of Dover Redevelopment Agency. Spanning 25 acres, the district includes 52 contributing buildings, one contributing site, and two contributing structures.
The district encompasses properties along Blackwell, Dickerson, Sussex, Bergen, Essex, Morris, Warren, Prospect, and Dewey Streets—part of the original street grid laid out by McFarlan and Blackwell in the 1830s.
Designated for its significance in architecture, commerce, education, the performing arts, religion, and transportation, the district represents the commercial and civic heart of Dover. The historic buildings and businesses found here reflect the rich heritage and daily life of a vibrant working-class community.
The Dr. Condict House
55 West Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ
Constructed in the 1890s, the Dr. Condict House is a striking example of Queen Anne Colonial Revival architecture. This stately brick home features a lively façade with decorative detailing, three bays across two and a half stories, and a signature circular tower. Historically, a trolley line ran directly in front of the house, with the Morris Canal situated just behind it and the train station only a few blocks away.
The house was the long-time residence of Dr. Arthur W. Condict and his family, including his four daughters. A proud graduate of Dover High School, Dr. Condict, came from a distinguished line of physicians. Like many others along this stretch of Blackwell Street—known as “Doctor’s Row”—Dr. Condict maintained his medical practice on the ground floor while his family lived on the upper levels.
This neighborhood was once home to numerous physicians, and Dover’s first hospital was located nearby, at the top of Prospect Street. The last physician to reside in the Condict House was Dr. Shanik, who generously donated the property to the First Memorial Presbyterian Church.
Today, under a long-term lease with the church, the building serves as the headquarters of the Dover Area Historical Society and the Pictorial Museum of Dover’s 300-Year History. A new exhibit, Nuestra Historia, highlighting the vibrant contributions of Dover’s Latino and Hispanic communities, will be opening soon.
For more information on events, open houses, and exhibits, visit: DoverNJHistory.org
First Memorial Presbyterian Church
51 West Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ
Presbyterian services in Dover began in 1835 at the Stone Academy on East Dickerson Street. The first church building was constructed in 1842 on Prospect Street, on land donated by the executors of Henry McFarlan. A new church was later built across Prospect Street, now the site of Atlantic Restoration—and a second church building at the corner of Prospect and Blackwell Streets was dedicated in 1872.
The current church, the Hoagland First Memorial Presbyterian Church, located at 51 West Blackwell Street, was dedicated in 1899. Funded by Mahlon Hoagland Jr. as a memorial to his wife, Martha G. Bigelow, and in honor of his mother Elizabeth Hoagland, a founding member of the congregation, the church was built on what was once McFarlan Park, on land purchased from William H. Baker.
Constructed in Romanesque Revival style using limestone, the church features a prominent 120-foot bell tower—once the tallest point on Blackwell Street. Its bells were long a familiar sound throughout the town. The McFarlan estate once stood where the church parking lot is now located.
Today, the building remains the home of Dover’s Presbyterian community and also hosts the Misión Cristiana Elim, continuing to serve the spiritual and social needs of the town.
Baker Theater
37-41 West Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ
Located at 37-41 West Blackwell Street, the Historic Baker Theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Founded by local businessman William H. Baker, the first theater at this site opened in 1906, seating 1,146 patrons, and was among the largest vaudeville playhouses in the region.
In 1913, Raymond F. Woodhull became the theater’s manager and introduced significant changes. The theater hosted prominent performers such as Helen Hayes, George Burns, Lou Costello, and Harry Houdini. After William H. Baker’s death in 1918, his son Henry O. Baker took ownership and partnered with Woodhull.
The original building was demolished, and the “New” Baker Theater opened on December 26, 1924, incorporating properties at 37 and 39 West Blackwell Street. Constructed with fireproof brick, concrete, and steel, the theater was renowned for its elegance—marble banisters, chandeliers, ornate plasterwork, an orchestra pit, and one of the largest stages in New Jersey.
By 1930, as vaudeville declined, the theater was retrofitted to show motion pictures. After a fire in 1978, the Baker briefly reopened for rock concerts and ballroom events. Today, Centro Biblico of NJ, a Christian church, owns the building and preserves its historic and architectural legacy, including recently replacing the damaged marquee with a replica of the original 1924 design.
Baker Opera House
16 West Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ
Constructed in 1880 by William Henry Baker, the Baker Opera House stood as a centerpiece of cultural and commercial life in Dover. The three-story brick building, featuring a distinctive four-story corner tower, exemplified the architectural ambition of the Victorian era, with iron framing, decorative brickwork, and rock-faced granite detailing.
Originally, the building housed retail shops on the first floor, offices on the second, and the opera house on the third. For 25 years, it served as Dover’s premier venue for the performing arts, drawing talent that outshined local rivals such as the Moller Opera House. Performers often lodged at the Park Hotel across the street. William H. Baker, a prominent businessman and entrepreneur, also ran a dry goods and grocery store in the building.
In 1906, the Baker Opera House was succeeded by the Baker Theatre at 41 West Blackwell Street. The original building then became Elite Hall, a social venue that hosted dances and events, including performances by the “Phoebe Snow” orchestra of the Lackawanna Railroad.
Tragically, a fire on January 1, 1968, left the building gutted and vacant. The restoration of the exterior in 1980, supported by the Morris County Trust for Historic Preservation, helped preserve its legacy as a cornerstone of Dover’s cultural history.
National Union Bank of Dover
18 West Blackwell Street
Banking in Dover began in 1831 with the Phelps Union Bank, originally located in the Park Hotel and operating until 1847. That site is now home to the Dover Trust Building, currently a Bank of America branch. In 1867, Segur’s Bank, a private institution, was chartered and later renamed the Dover Bank in 1871. It was eventually absorbed by the National Union Bank of Dover.
Also in 1871, George Richards opened the First National Bank, which was renamed the National Union Bank of Dover in 1872. The bank later purchased the Hotel Dover at 7–9 West Blackwell Street. In 1928, it acquired property at the corner of Blackwell and Warren Streets from Henry O. Baker. The original structure was demolished to make way for a new bank building, which opened on October 17, 1929, at 18 West Blackwell Street.
The new building, designed in the Renaissance Revival style, features three stories and three bays. It is constructed of brick with pedimented metal windows and decorative trim. In 1929, the ground floor was renovated using glazed terra cotta blocks and ornamental moldings.
Over the years, the National Union Bank of Dover transitioned into the National Community Bank of New Jersey, then Bank of New York, and eventually Chase Bank, which still maintains a branch in Dover at 1 East Clinton Street.
In 2011, the historic bank building at 18 West Blackwell Street found new life as the Zufall Health Center, a nonprofit community health facility that provides quality, affordable, and culturally responsive medical, dental, and behavioral health care to all.
George Richards Building
1 West Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ
The George Richards Building stands as a symbol of Dover’s rich commercial and civic history. While the exact construction date is unknown, its front section dates to the late 19th century. The number 1869 on the facade commemorates Dover’s incorporation and the election of its first mayor, George Richards. His son, also named George, later expanded the building, turning it into one of Morris County’s premier retail hubs.
Originally home to the Iron Era newspaper—founded in 1870—the building saw significant expansions in 1909 and 1916, doubling its size and reaching its current form. Over time, it housed several well-known businesses including Swingles Five and Dime and JJ Newberry, until the latter’s bankruptcy in the 1990s.
The lower floors later welcomed Iron Carriage Antiques and Dover Antique, while the upper levels became Dover Business College, which eventually merged into Berkeley College in 2013. Although the town once planned to convert the building into a new town hall, those plans never materialized.
In 2022, the property was acquired by West Morris OZF Property Development Company II, which is currently revitalizing the building. Today, the George Richards Building is being transformed into a vibrant hub for retail, dining, art, office, and event space.
Follow the transformation at: richardsbuilding-dover.com
The Harris Building
19 East Blackwell Street (Built 1913)
The Harris Building is a stately three-story red brick commercial structure with classical influences, including a four-bay façade, arched pediment, cast-stone rosette, and a rectangular panel reading “Harris.” Originally, four ball finials adorned the parapet, adding to its distinguished presence on Blackwell Street.
William Harris, born in England in 1835, immigrated to the United States in 1868, starting a jewelry business in Rockaway. By 1874, he had moved his store to Dover, opening at 15 South Sussex Street. In 1910, he incorporated his business as William Harris and Sons. After briefly relocating to the Berry Building, he commissioned construction of his own building in 1913. Following his death in 1917, his sons continued the family business from this site.
In front of the Harris store stood one of Dover’s two iconic street clocks, installed around 1900. A familiar sight in historic photos of downtown Dover, the clock operated until it was damaged by a car in 1960. A new street clock was later installed at 8 West Blackwell Street in honor of Dover’s 275th anniversary.
Today, 19 East Blackwell Street is home to El & Ella Salon and Tattoo Stilo, continuing the building’s legacy of small business in downtown Dover.